Elijah Wood in "The Return of the King"
courtesy of New Line Home Entertainment
"The King Finally Returns To Video"

For fans of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy it has been a long wait. They have anticipated "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" being released on video/DVD and that date has finally arrived. Now they can own the final installment of the trilogy and the one segment that mopped up the floor with awards.

This final chapter is the one that ties all the storylines up. We find out what happened to Frodo and Sam, and that villain Gollum; as well as the outcome of battles and the crowning of the King. In short it has something for everyone - plus some extras on the DVD version.

The "Rings" trilogy has been one of the most successful movie series ever, and the final episode is as stunning as the first two chapters. Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellan, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, Miranda Otto and all the other stars are at their best. They bring the story to life and make it jump off the screen.

This final episode is a long one but that is the beauty of watching it at home. You can stop and start it at will. And probably it won't disrupt the flow of the film. You can pick right back up. At least I could.

This film is one of those which has to be in your DVD collection, so don't wait. It is here at last - now go get it!

Another great movie out this week is "Miracle," the story of the stunning win by the US Hockey Team in the 1970 Winter Olympics. It wasn't supposed to happen. Many said it couldn't happen. But the US did defeat Russia and everyone went crazy.

There was a lot of talent on the ice but the driving force behind the win was the skill and coaching ability of Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell). This is his story as much as any one's and it is an impressive one. Russell is perfectly cast and makes Herb Brooks live again in this role. Patricia Clarkson is seen as his wife Patty.

I guarantee this is such an emotional film that you will be standing in your living room and shouting USA1 USA! when the final winning sequences are shown. It is emotional and it is inspiring. Patriotism lives with this story and it is a good feeling to get it back one more time.

No one was clamoring to see another "Cruel Intentions" story. The first one was okay but the second one was the pits. Now we get "Cruel Intentions 3" and though it is better than the second, it is still a blatant rip-off of the first one.

Kristina Anapau, Nathan Wetherington and Kerr Smith are the stars of this film. They play the sadistic students who get their kicks by ruining the lives of their fellow students. This is a carry-over theme from the first film but it is not as effectively portrayed here. Where is "Buffy" when you need her?

Fans of the "Smallville" TV series, and there are a lot of you out there, will be excited to learn "Smallville, the 2nd Season" has hit the video stores. Tom Welling, Kristin Kreuk, Annette O'Toole and John Schneider are all on hand for an exciting time.

You can also catch Christopher Reeve, the original Superman, in his first guest appearance on the show. He sort of gives his blessing with his guest shot.

To catch up on the beginnings of Clark Kent as Superman, this is a must see. So get all twenty-three episodes in this DVD collection.

Finally we have "Walt Disney Treasure Wave 3." This is a collection of Walt Disney productions from the early years of the studio. It is broken down into Volumes titled "Walt Disney On the Front Line," "The Chronological Donald," "Mickey Mouse In Living Color," and "Walt Disney's Tomorrowland."

Any serious student of animation should collect all of these volumes, and those who love the heritage of Walt Disney should gather them too. This is a historical collection and one with impact on the world and its events.

 

 

 

 

 

©2004 Jackie K. Cooper

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